Seattle in need of street parking

Mayor Mike McGinn’s support of reducing street parking and reducing the requirement for new parking developments is making Seattle less livable.

For a while I lived in a condo in Belltown and my range hood stopped working. No repair company recommended by the manufacturer would come to Belltown because of the lack of parking. I noticed on their Web sites that several Seattle neighborhoods were in their no-repair zones.

Back in Mayor Norm Rice’s days, neighborhoods strongly supported the requirement that new developments needed at least one parking space for each apartment. Providing sufficient parking for customers of businesses was also a strong neighborhood goal. Businesses cannot attract customers outside the neighborhood if there is insufficient street parking.

Mayor McGinn’s narrow-minded support for bicycles neglects the need and accommodations for vehicle parking necessary for a healthy city. Where are Seattle citizens who own cars for recreation, business and other personal needs going to do? What are the businesses that depend on parking going to do? Limiting our choices is not the answer. The mayor needs more balance in this single-minded policy.

Welcome to The Seattle Times' online letters to the editor, a sampling of readers' opinions. Join the conversation by commenting on these letters or send your own letter of up to 200 words letters@seattletimes.com.